Amazon and alternative carriers expand their U.S. parcel share
Amazon’s U.S. parcel volume increased in the first half of 2026, while UPS and the U.S. Postal Service declined; alternative carriers collectively added approximately 145 million parcels.
What are the key facts?
- 1Amazon’s U.S. parcel volume grew 9.7% year over year in the first half of 2026
- 2UPS parcel volume fell 5.7% during the same period
- 3U.S. Postal Service parcel volume fell 3.1%, while FedEx grew 4.6%
- 4Alternative carriers collectively added approximately 145 million parcels
- 5Total parcel volume during the 2026 holiday peak season is expected to grow approximately 4% year over year
- 6Higher carrier rates and fuel prices could squeeze seller margins
What happened?
Supply Chain Dive reported on November 10, 2026, that, according to ShipMatrix data, Amazon’s U.S. parcel delivery volume grew 9.7% year over year in the first half of 2026. During the same period, UPS parcel volume fell 5.7%, U.S. Postal Service parcel volume fell 3.1%, and FedEx parcel volume rose 4.6%. Alternative carriers including OnTrac, Veho, Jitsu, DoorDash, SpeedX and UniUni collectively added approximately 145 million parcels, while the in-house logistics networks of major retailers such as Walmart also handled some transferred orders. ShipMatrix expects total parcel volume during the 2026 holiday peak season to increase approximately 4% year over year, but higher carrier rates and fuel prices could squeeze seller margins, and costs may rise further in December. The report said this is not a policy change for Amazon sellers, but it directly affects sellers using Amazon Shipping, third-party carriers, Walmart’s self-delivery or direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Amazon’s expanding delivery network offers more service options, while alternative carriers differ in geographic coverage, tracking quality and peak-season reliability.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Parcel volume is shifting toward Amazon and regional alternative carriers, while UPS and the U.S. Postal Service are declining; sellers should not select carriers based only on base rates. Total parcel volume during the 2026 holiday peak season is expected to grow approximately 4%, and higher rates, fuel costs and possible December increases may further compress fulfillment margins.
What should sellers do now?
- 1Organize current delivery options by SKU, U.S. destination and required transit time; compare UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon and regional carriers item by item on price, coverage, tracking and peak-season reliability, and produce a carrier selection table.Profit calculator
- 2Create a replenishment-cycle schedule for priority SKUs for the 2026 holiday peak season; considering the expected approximately 4% year-over-year increase in total parcel volume and possible December cost increases, flag orders and replenishment milestones that need to be scheduled early.Restock planner
- 3Review SKUs using Amazon Shipping, third-party carriers, Walmart’s self-delivery and direct-to-consumer fulfillment; verify inventory turnover and slow-moving inventory risks by channel, and produce an exception list covering tracking rates, delays and inventory handling.Inventory turnover